Opinions of Ulysses S. Grant?

[LBJ Revivalist]

What are your opinions on America's 18th President (1869-1877) and perhaps one of our greatest generals?

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

FF for a Civil Rights Act ahead of its time.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

HP-GreatGeneral, Horrible President. As I most likely would of been a confederate, I would hate him.

[minionofmidas]

A well intentioned, drunken* failure. I can sympathize.
Major props for the Peace Policy.

[tmthforu94]

A well intentioned failure.

HP

[Mechaman]

A well intentioned, drunken* failure. I can sympathize.
Major props for the Peace Policy.

I can sympathize.
Although I don't really approve of his tactics in warfare his brave push for Civil Rights in the 1860s and 1870s must be applauded.  One could argue that he and other Republicans f***ed up Reconstruction, but intention wise he's an FF.
I know others of my ilk would disagree but hey I'm just one man.

[Mr. Taft Republican]

A drunken* failure

That's what I got out of that, HP.

[Southern Senator North Carolina Yankee]

In terms of military tactics, he didn't have much flare in the way of a Stonewall Jackson or Lee. But he did realize what previous Generals who had tried to fight the way that McClellan had (try to minimize casualties) only served to lengthen the conflict and thus increase the death toll. As such he prefered an aggressive and direct strategy against Lee, acknowledging and taking advantage of the South's primary weaknesses, which were in lack of manpower and supplies. In a sense, just as the Civil War moved the world from Napoleon to WW1 style warfare, it also moved the standard for Generals from those like Lee and Jackson to that of Grant and Sherman.

In terms of his presidency well lets look at it like this. You had conflicts in two different regions, both of which turned out in less then satisfactory way (In the South, he routed the KKK and destroyed the militant anti-black forces, only to see them return in his second term when other matters prevented another suppression effort. And against the Native Americans, you of course had Little Big Horn). You had big corruption scandals, and a second term marred by scandal, Depression, military setbacks against the indians and the intractable situation in the South. You could make a comparison to Bush in terms of two less then successful conflicts, economic problems, and political scandals.

[Antonio the Sixth]

A well intentioned failure.

HP

[WillK]

In terms of military tactics, he didn't have much flare in the way of a Stonewall Jackson or Lee.

Grant's most lauded campaign was against Vicksburg which showed as much flare as anything Lee or Jackson did.

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In a similar way you could make a comparison to George Washington in terms of less than successful conflicts with Indians, suppressing internal dissent, political scandals, and recession.

[Mechaman]

In terms of military tactics, he didn't have much flare in the way of a Stonewall Jackson or Lee.

Grant's most lauded campaign was against Vicksburg which showed as much flare as anything Lee or Jackson did.

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In a similar way you could make a comparison to George Washington in terms of less than successful conflicts with Indians, suppressing internal dissent, political scandals, and recession.

That is true.

Whiskey Rebellion anybody?
Alexander Hamilton hitting it off with someone not named Mrs. Hamilton?
Washington's endorsement of war policies similar to scorched earth?

Me personally I don't always use a president's failures to determine whether or not they are an HP.  Some failures, like Hoover signing Smoot Hawley, are so astronomically stupid and damaging that I feel no choice but to automatically dish out an HP label.  Others, like Grant, who make brave attempts at something as unpopular as Civil Rights in the 19th century I give a little more slack to.  I think Reconstruction was badly handled and only lead to more antagonism between southern whites and African Americans but I don't want to think of what the alternative to Grant would've been.  Yes I have previously called his tenure a "failure", however I can't think of how much better off we would be if a Democrat was in office from 1869-1877.
I can't say the same about a president like Herbert Hoover, whose alternative (Alfred Smith) I'm certain would veto such an insane bill as Smoot-Hawley if it ever crossed his desk.

And considering how much sh*t we did in the Vietnam War and Iraq (including forms of torture deemed illegal by the Geneva Convention on subjects that might not even be terrorists, instituting warrantless searches, mass killings of civilians) have we really matured beyond our predecessors when it comes to warfare?